I Heart Coffee Shop AUs
by cabbageoriley
Summary: Stiles sneaks into Derek's loft and starts reading a coffee shop AU Derek wrote about his life. Little does he realize, he plays a very important role. Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Sheriff Stilinski Scott McCall Bakery and Coffee Shop Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés Writer Derek snooping Stiles Coffee Love Confessions
1. Chapter 1

Derek loves everything about books. He loves reading. He loves going into a bookstore and finding a comfy chair to sink into and reading for hours on end. He loves writing books, too. He had a whole binder full of short stories that he had created until the fire destroyed absolutely everything. Not that he cared about losing them when he had simultaneously lost his whole family.

It takes him so many years to get back into writing again. But, when the Alpha Pack is gone and the Nemeton is finally destroyed, things in Beacon Hills settle down, and he picks up a pencil again.

He could use the word processor on the computer the pack got him for Christmas, but there's something poetic about the way a pencil glides across a piece of paper. The way your hand forms each and every stroke. Seeing line after line fill up and come to life on the page. Writing on paper is personal. It's intimate in a way you don't find when you type something. Writing on paper is making love to your soul mate, and writing on a computer is having a good time with a prostitute- in the end you get the same result, but the love and intimacy is so much less profound in the latter.

Derek gets his inspiration from two things he loves- any kind of coffee and a certain brown haired spazz that's been a pain in his neck for close to four years. The thing is- no one was supposed to read his new story. No one. Ever. Especially said brown haired spazz. The pack is all out of town for their first year of college, so Derek doesn't think to hide his story. It's sitting on the coffee table in his new and improved apartment when Stiles charges inside.

Stiles throws his bag on the carpet and flings himself onto the couch. "Derek!" When he doesn't get an answer, he sits up. "Great. The one time I need help researching something, you're not here!"

He leans over to pull his laptop out of his bag. That's when he sees it- two stacks of scattered papers filled with Derek's surprisingly flowery script. He picks up the first page and sees that its working title is "My Life as a Coffee Shop AU" with a note to change all the names later. He's secretly believed Derek was a closet fanboy for a couple years now- after the way he saw him freak out about the Game of Thrones box set they saw in the mall that one time.

Picking up the whole stack, he sinks into the couch to read it. Derek begins the story by talking about his life in New York- going to architecture school even though he now wishes he had studied Literature, living in a studio apartment with his sister, going to a tiny coffee shop around the corner every day and ordering a double mochachino with extra chocolate sprinkles. Stiles wonders how much of this is true and how much is fiction. It all seems so heartfelt that he knows he hasn't gotten to the AU part yet.

_"Laura died that winter. We had always planned to move back to Beacon Hills after I finished school but had never got around to doing it. So, in early January, I packed up my stuff and moved back home… alone."_

Stiles knows he shouldn't be reading this; Derek would rip his throat out if he knew. But, it's good. It's really good. Who knew Derek could actually use words, form sentences and all that jazz? He starts his laptop and plugs in his handy-dandy As Seen on TV portable scanner. It takes a while, but he finally saves a copy of all eighty pages. He has everything back in place and is nonchalantly typing an essay in the kitchen when Derek comes home.

"What are you doing here?" Derek asks him. He sounds shocked yet excited. Which is strange Stiles thinks, but he doesn't say anything.

"I needed your help researching something for school."

"So you drove all the way back from Berkeley to ask me a question?" Derek quirks his eyebrows.

"You got me grumpy-bear. I came back because I missed you."

Derek rolls his eyes so hard he veers into Peter-the-drama-queen territory. "Yeah right." He pulls out a stool beside Stiles and sits down. "You could have just texted me the question, though."

"Would you have answered?"

"Probably not."

"Would you have known how?"

"Y… probably not."

Stiles throws his head back in a sharp laugh. Derek's lips slightly quirk into a soft smile.

Stiles itches and twitches to read more of Derek's story, but he doesn't get the chance to do so for a few days. First, he's researching with Derek. Then, he's spending a day with his dad. Then, he's headed back to school and totally swamped by work for close to a week. Finally, he has everything done, so he curls up in the covers on his bed and pulls up the files.

_"It took me weeks to find a decent coffee shop in this stupid town. The baristas would take one look at me and do one of two things. Sometimes they'd run. (And, really? I'm not that scary- no matter what some people may say about the density of my eyebrows… or bulk of my muscles… or my penchant for leather.) But, if they'd stay long enough to take my order, they'd get mad at me for making fun of their profession and hand me a plain, bitter, black coffee instead._

_ Every single shop did this to me. I missed New York. I missed Laura. I missed my life. No one understood me, but I guess I really didn't give them an opportunity to learn to understand me._

_ I walked down a street on the other side of town one day. That's where I found The Coffee Shop- wow, how original."_

Stiles can't help but laugh at Derek's dry humor- all those little additions he adds into his story. All the mentions of coffee, though, have made him start to crave some himself. He slides out of the covers and grabs the box of espresso caramels the pack gave him for his birthday. He pops one into his mouth and then flops back down into bed.

_"The café was tucked into a row of shops right across the cobblestone street from the police department. 'Clever' I thought, since the whole front display window was filled with donuts. I decided to give the place a try. I jogged across the street and squeezed the antique brass door knob. The bell above the door tinkled clearly in the calm silence of the java shop._

_ 'I'll be right with you,' a voice echoed from somewhere behind the counter. I nodded, though I doubt they saw me. I took the chance to look around the store. What I assumed to be a quaint shop was in reality a very eclectic kawiarnia. For all the antique brick and brass outside, the inside is filled with satirical miscellany._

_ 'Hey,' the voice says again, and I look up. I'm silent for a moment as I take in the person before me. He is the most resplendent human being I've ever seen."_

Stiles pulls up a new window and goes to . He types in the unfamiliar word and pulls up the definition. "Resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful. Oh. That makes sense. Okay, 'He is the most attractive human being I've ever… HE is the most attractive." Stiles' eyes widen comically. "He's gay?"

His body is overcome by a sense of want. He blushes. Derek would never be interested in him. He sighs and continues reading through Derek's ornate words.

_"His eyes are the most beautiful orbs I've ever seen- abyssal in their depth and hot whiskey in their color. His hair is honey brown and coiffed to perfection. The dusky light glinting through the window casts soft shadows across his slight up-turned nose and cascades down upon his blossom pink lips. His lips part slightly, and I am entranced._

_ 'Can I help you?' he breathes. I focus on him, realizing I have been staring at him for close to two full minutes. I open my mouth to speak, but before I can he is speaking again. 'No wait, let me guess!'_

_ Oh great, he's one of those people, too. 'Regular coffee- black?'_

_ He scrunches up his nose and squints at me. 'Eww, really? Okay, whatever dude.' He turns around to grab a white porcelain cup, and I stop him._

_ 'What would you have guessed?' I ask._

_ He bites his lip and leans closer to me. He peers at me, and he smells of cinnamon and rosewood. I never want to leave. He turns his head to the side and breathes softly through his freckled nose. 'Café mocha with dark chocolate drizzle and a dusting of nutmeg.'_

_ 'Sounds good to me.'_

_ 'Okie-dokie. I'll have it out in a minute. Please take a seat.'_

_ I turn around and head to an open table. Now that I really look around at the shop instead of just at the details, I see that I'm the only customer there. Soon, the tall, young man places the drink on the table in front of me._

_ 'I added a cinnamon glazed donut to your order. That's on me.'_

_ My heart rate spikes as he smiles and sits down at the table across from me. 'Thanks,' I manage to force out with an even voice._

_ 'Are you new in town?" he asks._

_ 'Yes and no. I'm originally from here, but I've been living in New York for the past few years,' I explain._

_ He throws his head back, exposing his long, slender neck, and laughs. 'You lived in New York, and you came back here!? You're messed up, dude.'_

_ I smile at him despite the insult. 'What's your name?' He points to his nametag as if I'm an idiot. I look at it and read his scribbled writing- 'Hello! Yoda my name is.'_

_ He laughs again. Of course he laughs again._

_ 'No, really. My name's Derek. What's your name?'_

_ He grins at me. 'Stiles.'_

Stiles chokes on the caramel that has become lodged in the back of his throat following his sudden gasp. "Oh, no way!"


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles finally recovers from almost choking. He was seriously one second away from throwing himself over the back of a chair to try to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on himself. The caramel is now partially liquefied and it's been down the back of his throat, but, darn it!, those things were expensive so he finishes eating it anyway.

He rereads the last line just to make sure he read it correctly. An ear to ear smile spreads across his face. He scrolls back up and re-reads the description of the barista now that he knows it's really about him. It's really flattering even though it's kinda weird that Derek is the one who wrote it. They're barely friends, yet he has created this whole alternate world where they're flirting and eating donuts. Darn, now he wants a donut.

It's weird but awesome. Stiles has had a crush on Derek since they first met, but he was so incredibly unattainable. Now, Stiles has read that Derek really is attainable. Apparently, he's gay- or bi- and he's clearly interested enough in Stiles that he may actually have a chance after all.

He is too excited to keep reading. He really wants to, but when he gets excited his ADHD starts to act up again. He tries to calm down and go to sleep, but it takes him a while. After he finally does get to sleep, though, it's one of the best night's sleep of his life.

As soon as he wakes up, he starts reading again. He doesn't have a class until ten a.m., so he has a solid two hours of reading time.

_"I walk back into The Coffee Shop the next morning. Stiles beams at me from behind the counter. He spastically waves at me using his whole arm instead of just his hand. I smile and get in line. There are half a dozen cops in front of me. By the time they each get their donuts, half the case is gone._

_ I'm finally next, and I plan on ordering the same coffee as yesterday. Before I can even open my mouth, he has passed a cup across the counter to me. 'Turkish coffee cok sekerli. Try it, you'll like it.' I thank him and start toward a table. 'OOH!' he shouts as an afterthought. 'A fresh bear claw! You'll love it.'_

_ 'You're trying to make me fat.'_

_ He laughs. 'Don't be ridiculous. I've known you for all of one day. I won't try to make you fat until at least day three. Just promise me you'll lose the weight before our wedding.'_

_ I can't help but blush. This guy can't be real; he's too perfect- so confident in himself. I walk to a corner table and sit beneath a giant poster that says "This Poster is Ironic". I don't quite understand it, but it's Stiles' so I appreciate it anyway._

_ I don't want to seem desperate, or like a stalker (I've been accused of that too), but I stay until the morning crowd has gone. Within seconds, Stiles has materialized in the seat across from me. His eyes are so open and light as he looks at me. I can't help but be transfixed by them._

_ 'You're a genius,' I compliment._

_ 'Thanks. Turkish coffees are one of my specialties.'_

_ 'No,' I correct him, 'for opening a donut and coffee shop right across the street from the police station.'_

_ 'No, that was a horrible idea!' he points his finger at me. 'Ask me why. Come on.'_

_ I roll my eyes but humor him. 'Why?'_

_ 'Because my dad is the Sheriff. He's constantly in here trying to get free donuts. You know what donuts are, right? Deep fried dough! I refuse to contribute to his demise. His cholesterol is high enough already. And, that's with me forcing him to eat salads four times a week.'_

_ 'Just don't give him free donuts.'_

_ 'I can't! When I refused him before, he ordered all the deputies to boycott my store. I lost SO MUCH business! We finally compromised. He gets one free donut a week, but all the others are double the price.'_

_ 'That doesn't sound like much of a compromise.'_

_ 'The compromise is free donuts, Derek. __Free__donuts__.'_

_ "I dream about him that night. I've had two conversations with him, and I'm already starting to plan a future with him. We just met, but there's no way I can imagine a day without him in my life."_

Stiles grins. He knows he really should stop reading- this is so personal. But it's about him, so he doesn't seem as bad. He wonders if Derek really, truly believes what he has written. Does he really want to be with Stiles? Does he picture a future together? He feels like his heart is about to bust from sheer joy, but he still doesn't want to get his hopes up too high.

_ "'Good morning, handsome,' Stiles shouts._

_I roll my eyes as my favorite goofball smirks at me. The idiot hasn't even waited for me to get in line before he has shouted his greeting. The bell above the door is still chiming. The crowd of people turns in unison to look at me. My cheeks bloom with rosy heat as their gaze lingers on me. If feels like an eternity until Stiles says…_

_ 'Stop staring at him. He's mine.' He points a dirty whisk at a man sitting under a Batman poster. 'Don't get any ideas, Frank.' He turns his attention to me again even though there are still five people ahead of me in line. 'Der-bear, have a seat. Your order will be out in a minute.'_

_ I nod and take a seat at an empty booth. A large canvas print hangs beside me. I growl at the idiocy of it. 'Don't believe everything you read on the Internet just because there's a picture with a quote next to it.'-Abraham Lincoln. That doesn't even make sense- Abraham Lincoln couldn't have possibly said that… oh, wait…_

_ Stiles squeezes into the booth beside me. 'Vienna coffee. Blueberry Danish.'_

_ 'How much?'_

_ 'On the house.'_

_ 'No, Stiles. This is your livelihood; I'm not going to just keep taking food from you. How much do I owe you?'_

_ His eyes dart away from me, and he begins to chew on his bottom lip. 'How much does a date cost?'_

_ '$6.99 if we go to Huddle House,' I offer._

_ 'Oh, you got jokes! Sorry, babe, but I would prefer something a little better than day old pancakes and hash browns so green you KNOW the cook sneezed in them.'_

_ I grimace. 'You sound as if that came from experience.'_

_ 'Good times, man. Good times.'_

_ I shake my head, and he cackles. I smirk at him, and he inches closer. 'In case you didn't take the hint the first time, I close shop at six.' And then he winks at me. Winking should not be that hot._


	3. Chapter 3

_"I head to The Coffee Shop around 5:30 and wait for Stiles to finish closing up. It seems to be taking him a while in the small kitchen in back, so I call to him to make sure he's okay. Muffled, he tells me to come on back. I maneuver around the pastry case and through the swinging door. When my eyes adjust to the bright room, I see that he is pouring coffee into to-go cups._

_ 'Can I help?' I ask._

_ 'Yeah, sure,' he grins. 'Go grab the rest of the donuts from out front and put them in these boxes.'_

_ When I'm finished, I carry some of the boxes into the kitchen. Stiles is just coming in through the back door after making a trip to his Jeep. I help him finish loading the leftover donuts and coffee into his vehicle._

_ One of the cups hits a bar in the back, knocks over, and dribbles over my hand. I yelp at the intense heat. 'Ouch, that's hot!'_

_ 'Of course it is, doofus, I just made it.' He pulls off his apron, and I can see that his shirt says 'Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues.' He uses his apron to wipe off my hand, and places a gentle kiss onto my reddened hand._

_ I follow him back inside. 'Why would you make fresh coffee so close to the end of the day?'_

_ 'I always do.' He bounces on his feet. He grabs my hands and starts to swing them back and forth. With anyone else, I'd be complaining about personal space, but with him it is different._

_ He looks at me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. 'Issit okay if we make a couple stops b'fore we have our hotsexydate?' he pouts._

_ We travel in his Jeep for what seems like twenty minutes. It's getting dark, and we're in a sketchy part of town. I'm starting to get a little nervous when he finally pulls over into an ally way. I see a man coming toward us, and I start to panic. I grab for his hand to stop him from getting out of the car, but it's too late."_

Stiles scrolls to the next page and gasps when it goes from page nineteen to twenty-one. "NOOOO! What happens to me? I'm about to die, and I miss a page?!" He furiously arrows down on his laptop. "NOOOOOOOO!"

"Stilinski, shut up!" his d-bag roommate shouts at him.

"You shut up!"

"It's three a.m. I have class at eight. Stop reading your porn, and go to sleep."

"I'll have you know this isn't porn. It's… it's so much better."

"Okay. Porn… Fanfiction… whatever. Just shut up and go to sleep, or I'm calling the front desk."

'Or I'm calling the front desk,' Stiles mimics in a mumbling sing-song voice. He sticks his tongue out and may or may not flip him off. "You're worse than Jackson, and that's saying something."

"Whatever, dude, go to sleep."

Stiles searches through every file, and finally, FINALLY, finds page twenty. He breathes a sigh of relief and starts reading again.

_'Stiles, wait!' I call to him frantically. He ignores me and steps out to greet the man._

_ 'Hey, Joe!' He walks around to the back and pulls out a cup of coffee. 'Your usual?' The man nods, and Stiles hands him a small box full of maple glazed long-johns. I get out of the Jeep and stand in awe as more than a dozen homeless citizens walk up to Stiles, and he passes out hot coffee and donuts to them. He knows all of them by name. He gives Sally two boxes and instructions for her to take 'them back to the kids.'_

_ He turns to look at me, and I realize I've been staring at him. 'Stiles, this… I…' My words fail me as I try to express my thoughts._

_ 'Jeeze, it's 7:30! I'm sorry, Derek. I lost track of time. I'm sorry I kept you; we can totally go on the date now. I mean, if you still want to?'_

_ I can't believe it. He's apologizing for taking so long while doing a good deed. I realize he's a triple threat- not only is he good looking and hilarious, but he has a heart of gold, too. I walk around the Jeep through the crunchy gravel. Opening a box, I give him a look. 'There're still donuts left. And… five cups of coffee.'_

_ I can feel his eyes on me as I pick up the stack of boxes. He beams and picks up the cardboard tray of cups. We spend the rest of the evening passing out hot coffee and fresh donuts to the less-than fortunate citizens of Beacon Hills. Seeing the smiles on their dirt-stained faces would be worth it all, but seeing them with Stiles makes it even better."_

Derek grabs his stacks of papers and moves them to his kitchen island. He sits down on a stool and turns his laptop on. Sighing, he opens a new document and starts to type up his story. Though he prefers hand written stories, he wants to make sure he has a back up copy in case the original ever got destroyed.

He's about a fourth of the way finished when his phone buzzes. It's Stiles. Of course it's Stiles- the one person who is so incredibly unattainable yet is so ever present in his life. He opens the text.

(Stiles)—I'm coming home for the three day weekend. Do you want to hang out?

Derek pauses before he responds. He doesn't want to get his hopes up.

(Derek)—With the pack?

(Stiles)—Sure, that's fine.

Derek deflates a little.

(Stiles)—Or just us is… great too.

Derek suddenly forgets how to swallow. He forgets how to breathe. He forgets how to move.

(Derek)—Sounds good.

…

(Stiles)—I'm coming out on Saturday.

(Derek)—And going back Sunday?

(Stiles)—No, you dork. I'm COMING OUT on Saturday. I'm coming home on Friday. Going out with you on Friday. COMING OUT to my dad on Saturday… He needs to know, and… I thought you deserved to know too.

Derek forgets how to stand. His hand shakes as he slouches on the couch. "Holy crap." Maybe Stiles isn't so unattainable after all.

Derek and Stiles are pressed together on the couch on Friday night watching a movie. The grumpy wolf turns to the boy and stares at him questioningly.

"What?"

Derek sighs. "Are you sure about this?"

"Sure about what? Watching this movie? We're half way through, so I hope so."

"No," he groans. "Telling your dad you're g… Telling him."

"Gay, Derek. The word is gay. And, yes, I'm sure about telling him. He needs to know." Stiles presses his head back into the couch and starts watching the movie again.

"But, a lot of people go away to college and… experiment." He says it as though that's a dirty word. "You need to be sure. You can't just say something and then retract it later. It's not fair to m… your dad."

"I'm sure. Derek, I've known for at least a couple years now. I'm gay. G-A-A-Y, I ain't got no alibi, I'm gay." Stiles smiles and laughs.

"You're positive?"

Stiles turns before he really thinks things through and grabs Derek's face. He smashes their lips together and kisses Derek's brains out. He pulls away, "Positive."

When Derek finally recovers from his shock he shakily lifts his hand to cup Stiles' face. He pushes back in to kiss the boy again. Stiles suddenly gasps, and Derek pulls away.

"Dude! I just kissed Derek Hale." Stiles barks out a half-crazed laugh and goes back in for more.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dude!" Stiles shouts as he runs into Scott's house. He spastically scales the stairs screaming "I just kissed Derek Hale!" and darts into his best friends' room. Scott beams at him, but his dad and Mrs. McCall do not. His dad freezes, and the hammer in his hand falls to the floor with a thud. Stiles did not expect the adults to be in the room. His face feels like it is glowing as dark as a pomegranate.

"Congrats, man!" Scott rushes forward and grabs him in a hug.

Stiles pulls away and looks sheepishly at his father. "Hey, Dad."

"Stiles."

"So, this is… I mean, wow, what a great intro for the conversation I was going to have with you tomorrow!" He laughs nervously and glances between his dad and Scott's mom. "I thought the both of you were working the late shift tonight."

The sheriff picks up the hammer and places it on Scott's old desk. "That was last night. I'm here now helping Scott and Melissa rework some of the wiring in the bedroom. Seems like the lights have been shorting out recently. Thought I'd come by and help."

"That's so thoughtful." Stiles steps back to the door. "Ok, then. Good to see you all. I'm just gonna shuffle off. I mean, look at the time! Gotta go hit the hay."

"Stiles," Mr. Stilinski stops his son in his tracks.

"Dad, it's so not a big deal! I mean… I'm gay. And, I mean that in both definitions of the word. I'm 'gay' gay plus I'm 'happy' gay. So, just, I'd really like for you to, ya know, be gay for me too. Oh wow, I mean that as in 'happy' gay not 'gay' gay because that would be so weird, you know. I mean seriously. HA! I did not realize anyone else was home. I'm gonna go die of embarrassment now. Mrs. McCall, always a pleasure. Dad… don't shoot me. Or him. Please don't shoot him. I'm totally of legal age now."

The Sheriff rolls his eyes and steps toward his son. He gives him a famous Stilinski-hug and steps back to squeeze his shoulder. "Thanks for finally telling me."

"Thanks for not having a heart attack. I… what do you mean 'finally'?!"

He laughs. "I've seen the way you look at him."

"You have not!" Stiles blushes. "I mean, I do not look at him in any such way. That's just… You knew?!"

Dating Derek Hale is epic. Their real life romance isn't quite like Derek's story, but it's great. The only bad thing is that they're taking it slow. And, after reading the coffee shop story's sex scene, Stiles does not want to take things slow.

Yes, Derek wrote a sex scene. That should probably make Stiles feel disturbed, like he has a stalker or something, but it makes him feel special. Like someone wants him, thinks he's worthy of being written about. So, he memorizes it. In case he ever gets the chance, he wants to know what Derek fantasizes about- how he wants it to happen between them. Derek wants Stiles on top, leaning over him and nuzzling behind his ear, licking at his stubble, and pressing his fingers to the pulse point on his neck…

But, for the time being, Stiles doesn't get a chance to put that knowledge into practice. Bummer.

Things start to change on their two month anniversary. Stiles is home on break, and he and Derek get to spend a whole day together. Derek is ecstatic. Sometimes he still can't believe that Stiles likes him or that he has put up with him for a full two months. Derek is so happy to wake up every day and remember the way they kissed or held hands and know that they'll be able to do it all over again.

Stiles is so perfect. The more Derek is with him the more he realizes that he is so handsome, and so funny, and so good-hearted. He can't believe he was lucky enough to meet someone like Stiles Stilinski.

Today has been the best day of his life. He wanted to surprise Stiles with something special for their anniversary, but as things turned out, he was the one to be surprised. Derek was still sleeping when Stiles used his key to enter the apartment at the crack of dawn. He rolled out of bed to the smell of coffee and pastries.

Padding into the kitchen, he can see Stiles getting breakfast set up on the countertop. "What's the special occasion?" Derek jokes. The boy glances up at him and smiles.

"Two months today!" He bounces toward him and steals a kiss. "Derek, can you believe it? Two whole months!"

"I know, babe. I can't believe it. It's gone so…"

"Fast?" Stiles supplies for him.

"I was going to say slow, but…"

Stiles smacks him in the chest. "Rude. And after I brought you donuts!" He gestures to the dozen donuts in the open box on the counter.

"Why'd you buy so many?"

"We'll eat them."

"Yeah, we'll eat them. And, then we'll get fat." Derek picks one up anyway. He has a weak spot for deep fried dough.

"So? Even if we do get fat, I'm sure we'll get back into shape before the wedding." Stiles kisses him and licks some of the sweet icing from his lips. He hands him a cup of frothy, sugary goodness.

Derek drinks some and moans before replying. "Who said anything about a wedding?"

"Come on, Der-bear. The moment you first kissed me back basically got you stuck with me for life."

Derek laughs. "I think I can deal with that."

Derek has such an amazing day. He never stops smiling. They spend the entire day with each other. After eating breakfast, they drive to the beach and make out for a while. Then, they drive back into Beacon Hills and go to a movie. Neither of them really knows what happened in it, though, because they were too busy making out. Then, they went out to eat for a nice dinner, and spent half the time in the bathroom making out. Basically their two month anniversary consists of making out. At the end of the evening, they go back to Derek's with lust burning in their eyes.

Stiles pants as Derek pulls away from him. His eyes are glazed over, and he feels like he's starting to have an out of body experience. But, he wants this to be perfect, so he strains to think back to Derek's story. What does Derek want him to do?

Stiles shifts on the bed and rolls Derek onto his back. He rises up and straddles his waist. His heart is beating wildly as he pushes the pads of his fingers into Derek's neck. Leaning over, he presses his nose to the nook behind Derek's ear. The pleasured whine Derek makes as he ruts his hips upward makes Stiles preen. He keeps going, nuzzling and beginning to lick the outline of Derek's jaw.

"Just like this. You love it, Der-bear. Just like this."

When Derek stills beneath him, Stiles stops. He turns his head to look at him and immediately feels his stomach drop. The look on Derek's face is almost… broken.

The wolf's eyes flash over his mole-spotted face. His voice sounds hollow and far off when he whispers, "You read it."

"What?"

"You read it. I can't… I can't believe it." He grabs Stiles' wrist and pushes him away and off of him.

"Derek…"

Fury soaks into his eyes. "You. Read. It!"

Stiles lowers his head- a guilty admission if Derek ever saw one. "When?!"

"A while ago. I found it lying on the table. It was too good to pass up!"

"Too good to pass up?!" Derek spits. 'He's been using me,' Derek realizes, and it hurts to the very core of his being. How could he have fallen for it? There's no way Stiles could have ever been that perfect. "I trusted you."

"Der, I'm sorry. I didn't… I thought you…"

"What is this to you, Stiles?! Some game?! What, you think this would make a good joke? Use me. I bet it's real fun to laugh at me behind my back!"

Stiles untangles himself from the sheets. "NO! Derek, please let me explain!"

"Shut up, Stiles!" Derek roars. "Get out!"

Tears spring to Stiles' eyes. "Derek, I'd never…"

"GET. OUT."


	5. Chapter 5

_**This chapter includes a panic attack, so if that is triggering for you proceed with caution.**_

After Stiles has made a show of blubbering and wailing through the door, Derek slams it in his face. He is seething with rage, and he just wants to break something. How could he be so stupid? He trusted Stiles so easily. After all he's been through; he should have seen this treachery coming. Everything fell into place so easily. Ridiculously easy. He writes a story about his perfect life and suddenly all the pieces click to make his life whole again.

Derek gives into his wolf and turns into his beta form. He grabs the laptop from his table and throws it into the wall. It shatters with a satisfying crunch and all the pieces crackle to the ground. He dives to his couch and pulls the original copy of his story out from under the cushions. Within seconds his razor-sharp claws have shredded it into a million pieces. The scraps fall around him like snow.

He feels sick to his stomach, but he keeps going- destroying everything in his house that Stiles has ever touched.

It's close to ten o'clock when the Sheriff hears brakes screeching in front of the house. He'd decided to go on to bed early, knowing Stiles wouldn't be home until morning. He looks out the window and sees Stiles wobbling out of his Jeep. He throws a shirt on and heads for the stairs. He goes a little faster when the door opens and he hears frantic sobbing.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" He leaps down the last step when he sees his son collapse onto the floor. "Stiles!" The boy's words are an incoherent mess. "Kiddo, come on, breathe."

"It hurts so bad!"

"What hurts? What happened? Were you in an accident?" Mr. Stilinski holds Stiles up by his shoulders.

"Derek."

"What about Derek? Did… Did he hurt you?" He doesn't think that's possible. He's seen the way the man looks at his son. He'd never hurt him.

"Ts'all my fault. Ruined everything. Oh gosh, I wanna die."

"Stiles, stop it. You'll be fine. What happened?" The Sheriff has no idea what to do to comfort his son. He has never seen him like this before.

Stiles coughs on the snot and tears flooding into his mouth. He shakes his head furiously and digs his fingers into his dad's arms. Stiles' world is collapsing around him.

"Was so stupid. Ts'all my fault. I shoudna read it."

"Stiles, son, calm down. You're not making any sense, and you're just making this harder on yourself."

Stiles can't even hear what his dad is saying. He knows he's there with him, but he's separated from him by a dense fog. All Stiles can hear is his heart pounding, and his vision is blurred. He is lightheaded and weak as he continues to sob.

Scott stops abruptly in the doorway when he sees the disaster in Derek's apartment. It literally looks like a tornado has swept through it. His eyes sweep the room, and he sees Derek eviscerating his mattress. "Derek?!" He runs to him and tries to stop him. The older wolf turns to him and snarls.

"Leave me alone, Scott."

"What happened? What are you doing?!"

"Like you don't already know." Derek hisses in a loathing voice, "The joke's over, Scott. Thanks for having my back, beta."

"What are you TALKING ABOUT?!" Scott grabs Derek's arm and forces him to turn and look at him. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"YES! For trusting any of you! I was such an idiot. I bet you and Stiles really got a good laugh." He tries to jerk his arm free, but Scott is having none of that.

"Derek Samuel Hale. Get a-freaking hold of yourself. You're going to stop this little hissy-fit right now! Listen to my heartbeat; I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you please explain it to me?"

Stiles feels so extremely hot. Any second he expects his skin to burst into flames. His heart clenches impossibly hard, and he gasps.

"Stiles! Breathe. LISTEN TO ME! Breathe. In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three." Mr. Stilinski tries to get his son to breathe normally again. This is by far the worst panic attack Stiles has ever had. He finally leaves his son long enough to grab his police radio. Bypassing 911 will get help to them sooner.

When he gets back, Stiles is sprawled out on the hardwood floor, clutching his chest, and gasping like a fish. "Stiles, hold on! You'll be fine."

"Heart hurts."

"Your heart is fine. It's just the panic attack. Don't worry, just breathe." Mr. Stilinski tries to talk his son through the attack. He's helped him before, so it shouldn't be too bad, but he has never seen Stiles this bad before. He doesn't really start to panic, though, until he sees Stiles' nose start to bleed. He knows it's supposed to be impossible, but what if his blood pressure really is so high he's having a heart attack. When he sees and hears the ambulance, a flood of relief sweeps over him.

Derek sits in the passenger seat looking like the whipped puppy he is.

"Why would you even think that?" Scott growls at him from behind the wheel.

"I… he… just… the…"

Scott forcefully rolls his eyes at the alpha. "You're an idiot. Stiles LOVES you. He would never laugh at you behind your back. If he thought your story was stupid he would have laughed right in your face. That's the kind of jerk Stiles is. He's not a complete douche."

"I know. But, he shouldn't have read it. That was personal! He read it right before we got together. What was I supposed to think?!"

"Oh, I don't know. That maybe it was what gave him the courage to actually ask you out in the first place. You were supposed to trust him." Scott makes the final turn onto Stiles' street.

"I do trust him, I just…" Derek cuts off when he sees the ambulance parked in front of Stiles' house. He bolts out of the car and down the street. When he looks in the vehicle and sees Stiles limply laying on the stretcher he almost stops breathing.

Mr. Stilinski grabs his arm and pulls him to the side just as Scott runs up to the scene. "I think it's probably best he didn't see you right now. What the heck did you do to him?"

"Nothing, sir! I mean, I… I got upset and threw him out. I'm sorry. It was a huge misunderstanding."

Scott leans toward his father figure. "I'm signing him up for Trust Counseling on Monday."

Derek slouches, "Is he okay?"

"He had a panic attack. It was so forceful that I thought he might actually be having a heart attack. They're almost ready to take him to the hospital just to make sure everything is okay. We'll be back home within an hour, if you want to stay here and wait for him."

Derek nods and watches the ambulance pull away.


	6. Chapter 6

Stiles groans and slouches down in his seat when he sees Derek sitting on his front porch. "What's he doing here?"

Mr. Stilinski pulls into the driveway and parks. "He came here to apologize. Didn't really get the chance to since you were too busy panicking." He claps a hand over his shoulder. "He loves you. You love him. Whatever happened, you'll be able to work it out."

Stiles sighs and gets out of the car.

Derek stands to greet him. "There's my little drama queen."

"Shut up," Stiles warns, but there is little heat in his words. "I feel like I've been squashed by an elephant."

"Derek," Mr. Stilinski cuts in. "When I said you could wait here, I meant inside. You've been sitting out here the whole time?"

"I couldn't get in. The window was locked."

The Sheriff turns the door handle and swings it open. "But the door was unlocked."

"I didn't… think to check there."

Stiles giggles and waves to his dad to go inside. He looks at Derek and tears form in his eyes again. "Derek, I am so, so sorry."

The wolf forcefully shakes his head. "No, Stiles. I'm sorry. I definitely overreacted. I should have trusted you more."

"Yes, you should have!" Stiles sighs, "But, I shouldn't have read the story either. It was yours. It was personal. I had no right to read it without your permission. I had no idea it was about me, or us, when I started reading it. It was so good. By the time I realized it was about me, I was already hooked. You're such a great writer, Derek."

"Really?"

"Yes. I wouldn't lie."

"I know. Babe, I am so sorry I freaked out. I'm sorry I kicked you out. I'm sorry you had a panic attack." Derek growls at himself. "I just thought… I thought you were doing it as a joke. I felt like you had betrayed me, like you were doing these things with me and then running off to laugh at me for being so stupid. I thought I had learned to trust again, but… I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."

"Are we… Are we okay? We're still together? Because, call me a drama queen or whatever, when I thought it was over… It was like my whole world was destroyed."

Derek rushes forward and grabs Stiles into his arms. "I love you, Stiles. I love you with all of my heart! I'm never letting you go again."

"I love you, Derek. I'm sorry I ruined our anniversary."

"I'm sorry I threw a fit and ripped my mattress to shreds because now I have nowhere to sleep."

Stiles cocks his head to the side. "Am I supposed to take that as a hint? You're welcome to join me, but my dad's home so…"

"Maybe we'll let your heart rate rest for the rest of the evening." Derek kisses Stiles on the forehead.

"I think that's a grand idea," Mr. Stilinski sternly teases from the doorway. "Derek, you can stay the night, but you both need to keep your hands to yourselves."

Derek nods, but Stiles whispers, "ooh, kinky", before pinching Derek's butt and walking inside.

Full trust is not a cake walk for Derek. No snooping is not a walk in the park for Stiles. But, they work on it. They get better. There are harsh words and a little shoving, but that's nothing new for the duo.

Stiles finally convinces Derek to sit down and talk about the coffee shop story. Stiles goes on and on about how perfect the characters were written, and how all that could really happen in real life…

"I love the chapter where we passed out coffee and donuts to the homeless. That's so me. I am totally such a kind-hearted person. I'd totally do that!"

Derek snorts a laugh. "Yes, Stiles. Of course you are... It's called an AU for a reason."

"Don't act like I'm a complete jerk, babe. I'm practically a saint."

The sourwolf rolls his eyes and turns an accusing glare at his boyfriend. "I've SEEN you literally steal candy from babies. You don't even like candy. You'd be the person that pretends to be a homeless person just to get a donut!" He sees a smile spread across Stiles' face. "No. Don't even think about actually doing it."

"Maybe we could…"

"No, Stiles. We're not roleplaying it either. That doesn't make any sense. What kind of sex fantasy would that be?!"

Stiles throws his arms wide. "Come on Derek. I'd be the starving, desperate young lad, and you'd be my donut man."

"Stiles, that DOESN'T make SENSE!"

"If I roll in cinnamon sugar and let you lick it off, will you do it?"

"How… what… why would you even… I love you."

Stiles favorite part of Derek's coffee shop story is the ending. Stiles-the character hides an engagement ring in a jelly donut and gives it to Derek-the character. He totally almost chokes on it, but says yes when he recovers the ability to speak. Stiles tells Derek that this part is perfect no less than twenty times during their relationship. Derek takes it as a hint.

But, you see, it really was a hint—a hint of what Stiles was planning.

Derek guides Stiles into the café late on a Saturday afternoon. They both order coffee and donuts, and the barista smiles knowingly at them. He nods at her and takes Stiles to a booth in the corner. Stiles has been acting a little strange lately, but Derek has no doubts about popping the question tonight.

Stiles, on the other hand, thinks Derek has been acting a little strange lately, but also has no doubts about popping the question tonight.

Neither of them really enjoy the evening because they're both too preoccupied watching the other eat their donuts. Derek really hopes Stiles doesn't choke on the ring hidden in his jelly donut. Stiles really hopes Derek doesn't choke on the ring in his gelatinous filled pastry.

Interestingly, they choke at the same time. Derek gags and pulls the ring out of his mouth. "I can't believe this, they didn't even give you the right donut!"

Stiles is too busy chugging his glass of water to really pay attention. "What the heck was in that thing?! I just swallowed something hard in my donut! If this is a repeat of what happened to me at the Huddle House last year, I'm suing!"

Derek shakes his head and leans over the table. "Stiles, this is for you." He hands the ring over.

Stiles looks at him stupidly. "No it's not. It's yours. I kinda ruined the moment by choking, but… What do you say?"

"What?" Derek is in awe. "You… you're proposing to me?"

"Yeah. Don't sound so surprised. I've been hinting at it for weeks." Stiles grabs Derek's hand and slides the ring onto his finger.

"I knew you were hinting, but I thought you meant you wanted me to propose that way to you! I was proposing to you tonight!"

Stiles squeals. "REALLY?! Awe! Where's my ring?! Where's my ring?!"

"You just ate it."

"No. Please, no." Stiles puts his head in his hands. "Please tell me I'm not that girl."

"What?"

"The girl who swallows the engagement ring! Well, guy in my case but still." Stiles sighs.

"Well, you might not be able to see the ring, but what do you say?"

"You already said yes to my proposal. Do you even have to ask? YES!"

The wedding is beautiful, and they have a coffee bar. It's perfect.


End file.
